Candidate for Flagler County Commission, Dist. 2

Education: B.S. Environmental Sciences from FIT, M.S. in Coastal Resources, also from FIT (FIT is now Florida Tech)

Political Experience: Numerous appointed boards both local and state, five years as a city councilman for Palm Coast, two years as the current District 2 County Commissioner.

What do you see as the top three issues in this race?

First. I am the best and only qualified candidate for County Commissioner, District 2. I am the only candidate who has worked his way up through volunteer and citizenâ€™s boards, the Citizens Academyâ€™s, the Palm Coast City Council, and now the County Commission. I am the only candidate recognized and certified by the Florida Association of Counties in the District 2 Race and took the time and put forth the effort to receive that designation in less than one year.

Second. I am not a newcomer around here. I know and love this county. I have lived here for 30 years and have worked hard to make Flagler County the wonderful place it is today. I can demonstrate a personal commitment to make Flagler County better during that time as opposed to proffered examples from opponents that are not verifiable and not from within Flagler County. I have consistently led and championed efforts to preserve that which brought us to Flagler County in the first place.

Finally. I have a proven record of success on our behalf:I am fiscally responsive to the needs of the county, and led efforts to balance the city's budget during the economic downturn.At the county, I recognized and fixed prior spending mistakes which helped to secure top ratings in our audit. That financial stability will translate into cost savings down the road, and tweaks the interests of economic development site locators thinking about bringing needed projects to Flagler County.This year I helped lead the effort in the Legislature to allow local governments, rather than the state, to decide their own matters. This is an important, precedent setting victory for Flagler County and the State. I plan to devote similar efforts on our beach restoration project in Flagler Beach.I helped secure important funding for the Florida State Agriculture Museum, an important historical and tourist asset for the County. I am now focusing attention on the Malacompra north drainage project, an important environmental and flood control project affecting 300 acres of private/public property but with benefits to over 40,000 acres of private/public land with special importance to Flagler County;s environmentally sensitive ecosystems.